A Record-Setting May

May was an extremely dry month for much of the region.

Rainfall was generally lacking during May in the Northeast, with 30 sites seeing below-normal precipitation. In fact, 3 sites had record-dry Mays and another 15 sites ranked the month among their top 16 driest Mays. With many sites also seeing below-normal precipitation in March and April, the spring season ended on the dry side of normal for 28 sites. The continued dryness led to moderate drought being introduced in parts of the region by late May.

May temperatures were generally 4°F to 8°F warmer than normal.

Average temperatures during May in the Northeast ranged from 2 degrees F to 8 degrees F above normal. All but one of the 35 airport climate sites ranked the month among their top 12 warmest Mays, with 7 sites having record-warm Mays. With a cold March, variable April, and mild May, spring averaged out to be within 1 degree F of normal for a majority of the region.